Competitive Salary

Definition

What HR says when they're actually paying you 10% below market rate. It's competitive in the sense that they're competing to keep costs low.

Example Usage

The job posting said they offer a competitive salary, but it's basically minimum wage.

Source: HR terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

attendance

The official record of who actually showed up versus who claimed their alarm didn't go off. A metric obsessively tracked by schools, HR departments, and managers who believe physical presence equals productivity. Poor attendance can lead to disciplinary action, while perfect attendance often earns you a certificate nobody really cares about.

👥 Human Resources

Advanced

Duty of Care

The legal obligation employers have to maintain a safe workplace and protect employees from foreseeable harm, often honored more in breach than in observance.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)

A legal contract preventing employees from disclosing confidential information—basically a threat to never talk about what happens here.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

reprisal

Corporate revenge served cold, usually in the form of passive-aggressive performance reviews or mysterious project reassignments. The art of professionally getting even without technically breaking any rules. Think of it as workplace karma with a paper trail.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

off-cycle review

An unscheduled performance evaluation that either means you're getting promoted immediately or fired quickly. The suspense is the worst part.

👥 Human Resources

Advanced

Retention curve

A visual representation of how many employees from a cohort remain with the company over time, typically plotted by hire date or tenure. The downward trajectory that makes CFOs weep.

👥 Human Resources

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